ANOTHER DATA BREACH Omni Hotels attacked by malware

Posted on 07/12/2016 | About Dallas, Texas

Dallas-based Omni Hotels & Resorts reported last week that some of its properties’ point-of-sales-systems were attacked by unauthorized malware. Omni which has 60 hotels throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico, did not say which properties were affected or exactly which point-of-sales systems targeted.

Omni said affected information might possibly include guests’ names, credit and debit card numbers, card expiration dates, and card security codes – but it does not believe any other personal customer information was involved, including data related to reservations or membership systems.
The company initially learned of the data breach on May 30, but have only made the information public now.
A company spokesperson said, “After discovering the malware attacks, our first step was to immediately engage leading IT investigation and security firms to determine the facts. We have since contained the intrusion.”
Omni advised guests who are concerned about the data breach to closely monitor their payment card statements, especially if they used a physical credit or debit card at an Omni hotel during the period of Dec. 23, 2015 to June 14. Guests who did not present a physical card at point of sale – which could include hotel stores or restaurants - were most likely not affected by the malware attack.
The hotel has also set up a page on is site that provides additional information for guest, including information on how they can receive a year’s worth of free identity theft protection and repair.
In a release, the company said, “Omni values and respects the privacy of its guests and sincerely apologizes for any concern or inconvenience caused by this malicious attack.”
Unfortunately other hotels have also had recent data breaches. Trump Hotels and the Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas had two data breaches each in the past year and Hilton Hotels also had one. In all these cases, customer credit or debit card information may have been compromised.